Sunsational Guide: The quintessential Lehigh Valley foods

View full sizeExpress-Times Photo | BILL ADAMS A local food list wouldn't be complete without Peeps.

Whether you're visiting us for the
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Okay, so we don’t have the gelato of Italy, the poutine of Canada or the fall-off-the-bone barbecue that Austin, Texas, can claim.

But there are plenty of regional delicacies for foodie taste buds to sample throughout the area. I hemmed and hawed to create this list. There were pros and cons and input sought from other newsroom foodies — but in the end these are my top 10 “not-to-miss” food staples.

Tastykake: If you’re not on the East Coast or in the Southeast, you’ll be plum out of luck to sink your teeth into one of these sugary sweets. When the company talked about merging or selling due to mounting debt in January of 2011, the area nearly revolted. No matter what else ran in the paper that day (or that week), the possible demise of Tastykake was all anyone could talk about. Thanks to a Georgia company, Tastykake is still in business. So do yourself a favor while you’re here, and hit the nearest convenience store to stock up your glove compartment with Butterscotch Krimpets or Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes.

Peeps: I’d be remiss not to mention these yellow, sugar-coated marshmallow confections made by Bethlehem confectioner Just Born. You either love them or love blowing them up in a microwave. And around here, they’re not just an Easter candy. Nowadays, the classic yellow Peeps can be found in different colors, bedecked for holidays throughout the year. While you’re treating your sugar fix, grab a box of Mike & Ike’s, or should I say Mike’s or Ike’s, thanks to a bitter dispute that has split the once inseparable duo.

Peculiar pork products: This category is not for the squeamish. But if you want a true flavor of the area, two dishes are necessary. Scrapple — made from all those “I’d rather not know what’s in it” ingredients — is a classic breakfast staple. Consider yourself Anthony Bourdain on a culinary adventure. Here’s your order: “Scrapple, fried hard, easy over eggs, hash browns, rye toast with butter.” Yum. Once you’ve conquered scrapple, you’re on to pig stomach. Ew, ick, yuck. Yeah, yeah, yeah — get it out of your system now. If you eat sausage, you can handle pig stomach. The casing is very similar, except this dish is stuffed with sausage, cubed potatoes and onions, then baked until golden brown. It’s a German specialty that families, churches and the former Hartman’s Restaurant in Plainfield Township keep amongst their most guarded recipes. Try it once and you’ll forever be able to top your friend’s “who ate the most disgusting-sounding thing” contests.

View full sizeExpress-Times Photo | EMILY CUMMINSPork Roll is one of those gotta have it while you're here foods.

Pork roll: If you’re reading carefully, you’re wondering why I didn’t put pork roll into the “Peculiar Pork Products” category. That would be sacrilege, my friend. Pork roll stands alone. It is in a class by itself. Also a member of the “I’d rather not know what’s in it” club, pork roll comes in a log that is sliced into thin, salty slivers and served alongside eggs, or on a toasted sandwich with melted cheese. Call it Taylor ham, Taylor pork roll or Jersey ham — just don’t leave without trying it.

Teaberry or Bisque ice cream: It has the pink hue of that bottle of Pepto Bismol you have stashed in your medicine closet. And it’s a rarity on ice cream menus — but when you find it, dig in with abandon. The sweet vanilla cream, peppered with the tang of the minty teaberry is so refreshing on a hot, summer day. When I do find teaberry’s on the menu, I’m locked in. No eyes for Moose Tracks, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup or anything else. But there’s another local contender I must mention. Bisque is one of those names I always snicker at when I hear people butchering it while ordering. “I’ll have the biskay,” they’ll say. Out-of-towners, I’ll think. Bisque is a hard to describe flavor that has notes of almond macaroons and maraschino cherries. It’s a peculiar flavor, worth a spot in a banana split.

Fastnachts: Oh, the glory of the potato doughnuts. This is a once a year indulgence, so there’s a high probability you won’t get to sample this treat, unless you’re traveling through the area on Fat Tuesday. This dense, sugary stronghold is a tradition around these parts, and it’s the kind of thing you need to get your order in for early.

Cheesesteaks: In June 2011, The Express-Times began a Cheesesteak Showdown in search of the best cheesesteak. Not a Philly cheesesteak, mind you — but a Lehigh Valley cheesesteak (arguably with sauce, for some). If, a year later, you still haven’t had the opportunity to sample the winning sandwich at Giacomo’s Italian Market & Grille in Easton's College Hill — then what the heck are you waiting for?

Shoofly pies and Moravian sugar cake: Nowhere else in the world would advertise and encourage consumption of a dessert bathed in flies. Growing up, I never touched the stuff, fully believing there were flies in the pie. Gross. But local foodies swear by this Pennsylvania Dutch sweet molasses and crumb concoction. Moravian sugar cake on the other hand, is a light cake studded with holes of butter and sugar that create an ethereal bite. Don’t leave without a piece.

Pasties: If recollections from my Northampton County History class serve me correctly, pasties were a lunch standby with the quarry workers. The pastie — an easily contained, hearty lunch of meat, onions and potatoes inside a dense pastry pocket — was ideal because of its crimped edge. It gave quarry workers a handle, if you will, on their meal that could then be discarded.

Tomato pie: We may not hold the exclusive rights to this pie, but a Lehigh Valley/Northwest New Jersey food list wouldn’t be complete without it. Cold pizza missing its layer of cheese to some, it’s a delicacy among locals. A thick, fluffy crust, layered with flavorful tomato sauce and sprinkled throughout with Parmesan cheese — it’s a summer treat that can’t be skipped.